Fuel injector assemblies are useful for applications such as gas turbine combustion engines for directing pressurized fuel from a manifold to one or more combustion chambers. Such assemblies also function to prepare the fuel for mixing with air prior to combustion. Each injector assembly typically has an inlet fitting connected the manifold, a tubular extension or stem connected at one end to the fitting in a typically cantilevered fashion, and one or more spray nozzles connected to the other end of the stem or housing for directing the fuel into the combustion chamber. A single or multiple fuel feed circuit(s) extend through the housing to supply fuel from the inlet fitting to the nozzle or nozzle assembly. Appropriate valves and/or fuel dividers, such as fuel system staging valves are generally provided to direct and control the fuel flow through the nozzle. The fuel provided by the injector(s) is mixed with air and ignited so that the expanding gases of combustion can, for example, move rapidly across and rotate engine blades in the gas turbine engine to provide power, for example, to an aircraft in a manner well known to those skilled in this art.
In a known prior art check valve, namely the Parker Hannifin Corporation Microseal check valve, Part Number 372720, that is designed for high-pressure hydraulic applications, the load on the hard seat metal valve seat increases as the supply pressure increases and also requires precise lapping of the opposed mating surfaces. A plurality of dynamic seals is required and moving parts of the valve are located downstream of the valve seat, all of which can have a negative effect upon both performance and longevity.
Attempted prior art solutions have been numerous, with some being set forth in the following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 3,082,304 to Radway; U.S. Pat. No. 3,410,304 to Paul, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,469 to Boehringer; U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,668 to Burke, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,282; U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,649 to Donnelly, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,791 to Stemberger; U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,144 to Karakama et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,129 to Mayeux; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,208 to Hommema.
However, no single one or combination of these references either discloses or suggests all of the claimed features of the present invention.